A very impressive tour of the house.

Originally when Spencer had first bought the house it had a bunch of extra bedrooms on the ground floor that Spencer had opened up to create extra living space for Amy. He’d divided the ground floor up into two sides with the kitchen, Spencer’s master bedroom and his office on one-half of the living areas and Amy and her bathroom and activity on the other. Upstairs was another two bedrooms and bathrooms for not just guests but that Spencer had mentally designated for each of Amy’s grandparents whenever they wanted to visit. Spencer’s parents, as well as Kirsten’s, had visited Spencer and Amy before but they had stayed at a local bed and breakfast while Spence was still getting the house finished off. Now, one was completely done and the other just needed a final coat of floor varnish and then painting.

John was suitably impressed with the quality of Spencer’s work. His plastering and joinery work was of a truly professional standard. Massie too was impressed with Spencer eye for decoration. His choice of colour pallet was superb giving the house warmth and vibrancy. She liked how he had retained the old charm of the original building while still being understated with the needed modernisations.

As Spencer and John headed back downstairs to the kitchen to replenish their drinks, Massie hung back to have a private word with Danielle.

Drawing Dani into one of the bedrooms so their words wouldn’t be overheard Massie asked, “so Dani. You and Spencer. Is there something more to tonight than just a tour of the house?”

Danielle wanted to blush, her motives for tonight weren’t that transparent, were they? “I’m not a very good actress, am I?”

Massie laughed. “A woman knows when another woman is out to bag herself a man. Oh, don’t be alarmed. Men can never tell a thing!”

Danielle laughed at Massie. She decided immediately she really liked this other woman and hoped they could become friends. “I won’t lie then. There was another room I was more interested in.”

“Saucey girl! I bet I know which one.”

Danielle had taken a long hard look at Spencer’s big king size bed when he had shown them through that part of the house. The strong masculine slate grey colour of the pillows and comforter causing Danielle to imagine herself and Spencer entwined between those sheets. Her pulse picking back up as she reminded herself again.

Linking her arm in with Danielle’s, Massie started to guide them back downstairs to the men before their absence was missed. “I’ll help you snare Spencer tonight,” she declared conspiratorial.

“How?” Danielle asked, excited to have an ally.

“I’ll help tip a few beers down John and Spencer’s throats and I’ll clear out early with John. Give you room to work.”

Spencer and John had continued back outside the house and were looking out towards the lake. John was telling Spencer his idea of a stone-paved entertaining area with a fire pit. It would give him somewhere to sit out in front of a raging fire on a cold night to watch out over the lake and the mountains behind. Spencer had switched over to one of John’s craft beers which happily left more of the Stumbling Foxes wine for Danielle.

The air was getting cold sooner at this time of year. Snow would start to touch the tops of the mountains before long if Spencer’s thoughts were correct. The little party headed back inside to wait for the pizza, Massie doing as she’d said she would and replacing John’s beer whenever it looked like getting empty. Spencer doing his part in the girls plan and matching John’s drinking pace without noticing.

The hot pies arrived before long and Spencer gave the young delivery boy a healthy tip for his troubles, driving all the way out here on the unsealed roads to drop them off. Spencer called Amy into the kitchen to join them for dinner. Spencer’s dining table was squared one finished in light brown wood. Seating eight there was more than enough room for all of them. Space was not a problem in the old house and Spencer had picked his furniture to make the most of it. Amy was seated next to her Dad with Danielle around the corner next to him. John and Massie on the opposite side to Amy and Spencer.

The local pizza shop was good and the pizzas were excellent too. Not as good as New York pizza but welcomed all the same. John and Spencer both had healthy appetites. Over dinner, Amy wanted to know all the details about Spencer’s accident yesterday in Cherryville and what had happened to the car. It wasn’t something Spencer really wanted to go into but his guests were all very intrigued none the less. Spencer explained what had happened, or a redacted version of the event for Amy sake anyway.

“I was coming back from Cherryville after taking Mrs Collins to the tile wholesaler.” Spencer leaving out that they had planned to stop to at a motel first. “It had started raining pretty bad when a pair of deer ran out into my path. I missed the first one but couldn’t miss the second one. With the rain, I slide off the road into a ditch.” Spencer left out that he had slid off into a tree head first too.

“What happened to the deer?” Amy asked.

“It had to be put down, Sweetie,” Spencer told his daughter.

“Who by?” Amy was always full of questions.

“Animal control.” Spencer didn’t want Amy knowing about Darcie carrying a gun in her purse and shooting the injured deer even with it being the most humane thing to do.

“What about the car? When are they going to bring it back?”

“I’m not sure. It may end up being a write off by the insurance company. I’m going to get a hire car in the meantime.”

“I thought you said the accident wasn’t that bad, Dad? Why wouldn’t they fix the car?”

“German cars can be expensive to fix. The insurance company might just decide to pay us out.”

“What do you think you’ll get instead?” John asked. He was a car guy and had noticed Spencer’s Mercedes when it had been in the car park of Monaghan Construction. He was also a businessman and doing the sums in his head if Spencer having to buy a new car would affect what he put in his quote.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t given it any thought. I’ll just wait to hear back from the insurer first,” Spencer told John, glad that someone other than Amy was talking and asking questions.

“Does your bank do car loans, Dani?” Massie asked. Her question was purely innocent and asked in a way that she was trying to put Danielle in a better light.

“Ahh, we can do if they’re needed,” Danielle covered. She knew what was in Spencer’s accounts. He was far more likely to lend the bank money than the other way around.

As dinner wound down, Amy asked to be excused from the grown-ups saying she was going to start getting ready for bed. Spencer told her he would be in a while to say goodnight to her. The collection of empty beer bottles was getting larger as Spencer insisted that John take home half of the leftovers with them when they left. Danielle was a much smaller eater and refused to have any saved for her, wanting to stay trim and in shape as well as not turn Spencer off her by eating like a pig in front of him.

Massie judged it would be a good time for her and John to leave Danielle and Spencer alone in peace now that Amy was going to bed. Standing up she went to the fridge first and pulled out another beer for Spencer.

“We should probably get going soon John,” Massie told her husband as she cracked the beer open, “there’s another beer here Spencer if you like?” Putting it down already opened in front of him. For Danielle, she poured the last of her wine into the glass with a secret-sisters wink. Danielle wouldn’t be able to leave with a full glass!

“Quite right Mrs Monaghan. Big day tomorrow,” John agreed. Massie was thankful John hadn’t tried arguing to stay for another drink.

Spencer and Danielle walked John and Massie to their car. John told Spencer that he would be in touch soon with his quote for the barn as Massie got into the driver’s seat. She had been much more controlled with her drinking after being in on Danielle’s plan. It was cold so they didn’t stay outside long but still by the time they got back inside and the Monaghans’ were gone Danielle was shivering and rubbing her exposed arms for warmth.

Spencer noticed. “Why don’t you go into the living room where it’s warmer. Amy always leaves the heater on in there. I’ll be in in a second. I’m just going to say goodnight to Amy.”

Taking her wine and Spencer’s beer into the living room while Spencer went to check on his daughter, Danielle quickly smoothed out her hair before reapplying her lipstick as she arrayed herself on Spencer’s couch. Kicking off her heels she twisted her waist to exaggerate the length of her frame as she lifted her breasts up higher in her pink bra. All set she waited for Spencer to return.